Time registering instrument



Nov. 3, 1931. J. L. JENSEN TIME REGISTERING INSTRUMENT Filed May 18, 1928 INVENTOR. flfif L. Iii 5M Q ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1931 JAMES L. JENSEN, 0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA TIME REGISTERING INSTRUMENT Application filed May 18,

The invention forming the subjectmatter of this application relates to registering instruments, and particularly the type of registering instrument used for indicating the elapsed time after the parking of a vehicle.

At present, there is no reliable instrument or method provided for accurately checking whether an automobile or other vehicle has been parked beyond the parking limit at any particular place. As there is a diflerent parking limit on different streets of a city, up to now, the only way the authorities could check up on the time of actual parking of a car was to mark the car and return after the time limit for parking had expired, and if the car or other vehicle was still parked, then it had violated the parking law or ordinance.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an instrument which is set at the time when the car is parked and which automatically indicates the elapsed time from the time of parking, thereby facilitating the ascertaining of the actual period of parking by the vehicle in question.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an instrument which is operated by a clock mechanism and whi h may be set to a zero or starting point at the time when the vehicle is parked and then which is auto- .matically connected to a clock mechanism and revolved thereby, the disc being provided with graduations and marks thereon to indicate the elapsed time so that anyone desiring to ascertain the length of time during which a car was parked might do so by simply looking at the disc and reading the minutes therefrom.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a parking time indicating instrument of the character described which will be superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facility and convenience in use, and general efficiency.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best,- but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such 1928. Serial No. 278,794.

form, because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood'that in and by the claim following the description, it i is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of an instrument board showing the time indicating instrument attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the device; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the device taken on the line of Figure 2.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a housing 6, an enlarged open end 7 of which is pressed into a ring 8. The ring is provided with lugs 9 disposed diametrically opposite to each other, said lugs being secured to the rear face of an instrument board 11 by means of screws 12. a The ring 8 has the usual circular opening 13 therein. A disc 14 is disposed in the enlarged end 7 of the housing 6. A circular glass plate 16 is secured between the disc 14 and the front flanges of the ring 8. An arcuate aperture 17 is cut into the disc 11 for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

Inside of the housing 6 is secured a clock 18, a winding screw 19 of which extends thru the housing 6 in a downward direction, as clearly shown in Figure 2. Upon a shaft 21 of the clock 18 is fixedly secured a gear 22 having a stub shaft 23 extending forwardly therefrom. A shaft 24 having an enlarged portion 26 is provided with a. bore 28 and internally cut gear teeth 27. A gear 22 integral with a shaft 23 is adapted to mesh with the internal gear teeth 27, the shaft 23 being slidably mounted in bore 28. The sleeve 24 extends thru suitable openings thru the disc 90 14: and glass plate 16. The outside end of the sleeve 24 is provided with a knurled button 29.

It is apparent that in order to engage the sleeve 24 with the gear 22, the sleeve is pressed toward the clock mechanism 18 until the internal gear 27 thereof is in mesh with the gear 22. Upon the sleeve 24 is a rotating dial 31 which is secured to the sleeve and rotates therewith. A spring 32 is disposed between the disc 14 and the rotating dial 31 for pressing the dial and the sleeve 24 therewith toward the clock mechanism 18, thus maintaining the internal gear 27 in engagement with the gear 22.

On the face of the dial 31, graduations 33 are provided, divided in accordance with the of the arcuate opening 17 in the disc 14. It

is evident that the graduations will appear thru the openings 17 and are readily visible thru the glass plate 16. i

The device operates as follows: First, the clock is wound in the usual manner and runs continously. As the spring 32 presses the internal gear 27 into an engaging position with the gear 22, the dial 31 is continuously the toward said clock mechanism, thereby engagthe internal gear 27 with the gear 22."

pulls the rotated. When the car is parked, the driver button 29 outwardly against the action of the spring 32, thereby withdrawing the internal gear 27 from the gear 22 so that the free rotation of the dial 31 is readily effected. Now the driver rotates the dial 31 independently of the clock 18 until the zero mark-on the graduaticns 33 is brought into alignment with a fixed pointer 34 formed on disc 14 and being centrally located relative to said aperture 17. Then by releasing the button 29, the dial 31 is automatically connected to the clock mechanism 18 by the action of the spring 32 pressing the sleeve 24;

Ngw, while the car is parked, the clock mechanism 18 rotates the disc 30 and the graduations opposite to the pointer 34 indicate the number of limits elapsed, since the dial was set and the vehicle parked. For instance,

after forty minutes of parking, the mark and the numeral 40 will be opposite the pointer 34, clearly and readily indicating the elapsed time since the car was parked.

It will be recognized that a simple and facile device is provided for accurately indieating the time elapsed after the car isparked. The device does not require any careful setting up and is readily adapted to be operated and read by the average layman or driver.

I claim:

A time registering instrument, comprising a clock mechanism, a male member of a splined coupling fixed to the time arbor there of, a shaft extension beyond said male member, a cooperating female member of a splined coupling having anextension, the opposite 

